Preparation of hydrophilic coatings utilizing a 1,3-dioxolane compound

ABSTRACT

A method for the preparation of a package comprising a packing means holding a medical device element of a substrate polymer, said substrate polymer having on at least a part of the surface thereof a hydrophilic coating, wherein the hydrophilic coating has been applied to the surface of said substrate polymer in the form of a solution of a hydrophilic polymer selected from the groups consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyethylene oxide in a vehicle comprising an optionally substituted 1,3-dioxolane compound, followed by evaporation of at least part of the vehicle and arranging said medical device element having the coating of the non-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer within a packing means, and sealing said packing means.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a simplified method for the preparationof durable non-cross-linked hydrophilic coatings on medical deviceelements.

Thus, the present invention relates to a method for the preparation of apackage comprising a packing means holding a medical device element of asubstrate polymer, said substrate polymer having on at least a part ofthe surface thereof a hydrophilic coating. The present invention alsorelates to a medical device having a durable coating of anon-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer and to a package including such amedical device.

Medical devices of the nature disclosed herein have a surface having alow friction when wet, and include medical instruments and devices suchas catheters, endoscopes and laryngoscopes, tubes for feeding ordrainage or endotracheal use, guide wires, condoms, barrier coatings,e.g. for gloves, wound dressings, contact lenses, implants,extracorporeal blood conduits, membranes e.g. for dialysis, bloodfilters, and devices for circulatory assistance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The application of hydrophilic coatings on medical devices has become avery important method to improve biocompatibility between living tissueand the medical device. Another important property of hydrophiliccoatings is to reduce the friction and to render biomedical devicesslippery when wet. Medical devices like catheters, guide wires,endoscopes etc. are often sliding in direct contact with the surface ofliving tissue when in use. Catheters and guide wires may e.g. beintroduced into the blood vessels or a catheter for catheterisation ofthe bladder is introduced through the urethra and withdrawn later afteremptying the bladder when performing catheterisation or after some timewhen performing more or less permanent catheterisation. In bothapplications, the medical device is sliding in direct contact with aphysiological surface, the walls of the blood vessels, or the mucosa ofthe urethra, respectively.

There is a need for improved, in particular simplified, methods for thepreparation of medical devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based on the finding that the preparation ofpackages comprising medical devices having a coating of anon-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer can be simplified by utilizing1,3-dioxolane compounds. The method of the invention is simplifiedcompared to conventional methodology in which a hydrophilic polymer iscross-linked, and the method only requires environmentally acceptablecomponents, i.e. reactive monomers and hazardous solvents andplasticizers are not necessary, although such solvents and plasticizersmay be used in certain embodiments. Another advantage of the method ofthe present invention is that coating of the inner surfaces of medicaldevices, e.g. catheters, is rendered possible in that the coatings arenot UV-cured.

Thus, the present invention provides a method for the preparation of apackage comprising a packing means holding a medical device element of asubstrate polymer, said substrate polymer having on at least a part ofthe surface thereof a hydrophilic coating, said method comprising thesteps of:

-   (i) providing a medical device element comprising a substrate    polymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane and    polyvinylchloride,-   (ii) providing a polymer solution comprising 0.1-20% by weight of a    hydrophilic polymer selected from the groups consisting of    polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyethylene oxide, 0-10% by weight of    additive(s), and the balance of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising    50-100% by weight of an optionally substituted 1,3-dioxolane    compound, with the proviso that the hydrophilic polymer is not    polyethylene oxide when the substrate polymer is polyvinylchloride,-   (iii) applying said polymer solution to the surface of said    substrate polymer, thereby forming a non-cross-linked hydrophilic    coating on at least a part of the surface of the substrate polymer,-   (iv) evaporating at least a part of the vehicle, and-   (v) arranging said medical device element having the coating of the    non-cross-linked, hydrophilic polymer within a packing means, and    sealing said packing means.

Medical Device Element

The term “medical device” should be interpreted in a fairly broad sense.Suitable examples of medical devices (including instruments) arecatheters (such as urinary catheters), endoscopes, laryngoscopes, tubesfor feeding, tubes for drainage, guide wires, condoms, urisheaths,barrier coatings e.g. for gloves, stents and other implants, extracorporeal blood conduits, membranes e.g. for dialysis, blood filters,devices for circulatory assistance, dressings for wound care, urinarybags, and ostomy bags. Most relevant are catheters, endoscopes,laryngoscopes, tubes for feeding, tubes for drainage, guide wires, andstents and other implants. Particularly interesting medical deviceswithin the context of the present invention are catheters, such asurinary catheters.

Some medical devices may be constructed of one or more medical deviceelements which, when being assembled or rearranged, represent theready-to-use medical device. Reference to a “medical device element”means the medical device as such (i.e. one piece medical device) or apart of a “ready-to-use” medical device.

Medical devices and medical device elements can be formed from a varietyof types of basic materials, such as plastics, metals, glass, ceramics,etc. Typical examples of plastic materials for medical devices arepolymers such as polyurethanes and copolymers thereof, or polyetherblock amides such as Pebax™ or other polymer materials includingpolyvinyl chloride, polyamide, silicone,styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymers (SEBS),styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers (SIS),styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymers (SEPS),ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), polyethylene (PE),metallocene-catalyzed polyethylene, and copolymers of ethylene andpropylene or mixtures of such. Currently very relevant materials arepolyurethanes and copolymers thereof, as well as polyvinylchloride.

In the present context, the medical device comprises at least onemedical device element of a substrate polymer selected from the groupconsisting of polyurethane and polyvinylchloride.

Substrate Polymer

It should be understood from the above, that the substrate polymer mayconstitute the entire medical device, or may constitute a medical deviceelement. The type of substrate polymer to be utilized in the context ofthe present invention is selected from polyurethanes andpolyvinylchloride. Useful commercially available substrate polyurethanesare, e.g., Estane 58212 from Noveon, Texin 5590 from Bayer, andElastollan 1100 from BASF. A useful, commercially available substratepolyvinylchloride is XH 76294 from Norsk Hydro.

The surface on which the hydrophilic coating is applied may be the fullsurface of the substrate polymer or a partial surface. In someembodiments, a part of the surface is masked with a film or the like soas to form a predetermined pattern of the hydrophilic coating on thesurface.

Polymer Solution

The hydrophilic polymers to be utilized in the present context arepolyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyethylene oxide, with the proviso that thehydrophilic polymer is not polyethylene oxide when the substrate polymeris polyvinylchloride. In many preferred embodiments, the hydrophilicpolymer is polyvinyl pyrrolidone. Thus, the polymer solution maycomprise one or more hydrophilic polymers of this type, i.e.homopolymers as well as copolymers wherein a major portion, e.g. 75% ormore, of the monomer units (by weight) are selected from the groupconsisting of N-vinyl pyrrolidone units and ethylene oxide units. Ahydrophilic copolymer may, e.g., be achieved by adding monomers ofvinylic or acrylic nature to N-vinyl pyrrolidone so as to obtaincopolymers of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, e.g. polyvinyl pyrrolidone-vinylacetate copolymers.

When using the pure polyvinyl pyrrolidone (poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone);PVP), various chain lengths may be selected each giving variouscharacteristics to the coating. Typically, such polyvinyl pyrrolidonepolymers have a number average molecular weight of above 100,000. As anexample, PVP K-90 with 1,570,000 in M_(w), or PVP K-120 with 3,470,000in M_(w), can be selected but other types of PVP with other molecularweights may also be used.

In one embodiment, the substrate polymer is polyurethane and thehydrophilic polymer is polyvinylpyrrolidone. In another embodiment, thesubstrate polymer is polyvinylchloride and the hydrophilic polymer ispolyvinylpyrrolidone.

When polyvinylpyrrolidone is the hydrophilic polymer, the molecularweight thereof is preferably at least 50,000, such as at least 100,000,in particular at least 500,000.

In another embodiment, the substrate polymer is polyurethane and thehydrophilic polymer is polyethylene oxide.

When polyethylene oxide is the hydrophilic polymer, the molecular weightthereof is at least 100,000, such as at least 250,000, in particular atleast 500,000.

The hydrophilic polymer(s) constitute(s) 0.1-20%, preferably 0.2-15%,such as 0.3-10%, by weight of the polymer solution.

When polyvinylpyrrolidone is the hydrophilic polymer,polyvinylpyrrolidone typically constitutes 1-20%, preferably 2-15%, suchas 3-10%, by weight of the polymer solution.

When polyethylene oxide is the hydrophilic polymer, polyethylene oxidetypically constitutes 0.1-10%, preferably 0.2-5%, such as 0.3-3%, byweight of the polymer solution.

An important constituent of the vehicle of the polymer solution is theoptionally substituted 1,3-dioxolane compound(s) which constitute50-100%, such as 55-100%, by weight of the vehicle. In some interestingembodiments, the 1,3-dioxolane compound is substantially the solevehicle constituent.

Apart from 1,3-dioxolane (the unsubstituted 1,3-dioxolane compound), anumber of substituted derivatives may be used with good results.Examples of substituted derivatives are 2-dimethylamino-1,3-dioxolane,2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, and2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethexy)-1,3-dioxolane. It is envisaged that otherderivatives including one or several 1,3-dioxolane ring(s) can easily besynthesized from the appropriate (poly)carbonyl compounds and alkyleneglycols under acidic conditions, and it is further envisaged that suchcompounds may be good solvents for hydrophilic polymers and may producestable hydrophilic coatings. Useful 1,3-dioxolane compounds in thecontext of the present invention, however, preferably have a molecularweight of less than 300 g/mol.

This being said, 1,3-dioxolane is currently by far the most preferredcompound due to its availability and moderate commercial price.Typically, a single 1,3-dioxolane compound is used, however, it isenvisaged, that two or more 1,3-dioxolane compounds may be used incombination.

The vehicle may also include other solvents and plasticizers incombination with the 1,3-dioxolane compound(s).

Illustrative examples of solvents are 1,4-dioxane and other ethers,acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and other ketones, dimethyl sulfoxide andother sulfoxides, dimethyl formamide and other amides,N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and other lactams, ethanol and other alcohols,glycols, glycol ethers, glycol esters, other esters, amines,heterocyclic compounds, morpholine and derivatives, alkylated ureaderivatives, liquid nitriles, nitroalkanes, haloalkanes such asmethylene chloride, haloarenes, trimethyl phosphate, dialkylalkanephosphonates, and other commonly known organic solvents. Thepreferred solvents may either be used singly or in combination.

Illustrative examples of plasticizers are acetyl triethyl citrate,dimethyl sulfone, ethylene carbonate, glycerol diacetate, glyceroltriacetate, hexamethylphosphoramide, isophorone, methyl salicylate,N-acetyl morpholine, propylene carbonate, quinoline, sulfolane, triethylcitrate, triethyl phosphate and higher phosphate esters, phthalates(e.g. dioctyl phthalate), Santicizers, and adipates (e.g. dioctyladipate).

Currently preferred solvents and plasticizers are selected from ethanol,N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, dimethyl formamide,1,4-dioxane, methylene chloride, acetyl triethyl citrate, propylenecarbonate, sulfolane, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, andtriethyl citrate (Citrofol A1).

Typically, the solvent(s) and/or plasticizers constitute(s) 0-49.9%,e.g. 0-44.8% by weight of the polymer solution.

One or more additives may be included in the polymer solution in orderto improve the production of the medical device or the performance ofthe hydrophilic coating. Additives may be present in a total amount of0-10% by weight, e.g. 0-5% by weight of the polymer solution.

In one embodiment, the polymer solution consists of:

0.1-20% by weight of the hydrophilic polymer,55-100% by weight of one or more 1,3-dioxolane compounds,0-10% by weight of additive(s), and0-44.9% by weight of solvent(s) and/or plasticizer(s).

In one preferred embodiment, the polymer solution consists of:

1-20% by weight of polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the hydrophilic polymer,55-100% by weight of a 1,3-dioxolane compound, in particular1,3-dioxolane,0-10% by weight of additive(s),0-44% by weight of solvent(s)/plasticizer(s) selected from the groupconsisting of ethanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide,acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, dimethyl formamide, 1,4-dioxane,methylene chloride, acetyl triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate,sulfolane, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, and triethylcitrate.

In another preferred embodiment, the polymer solution consists of:

0.1-10% by weight of polyethylene oxide as the hydrophilic polymer,55-100% by weight of a 1,3-dioxolane compound, in particular1,3-dioxolane,0-10% by weight of additive(s),0-44.9% by weight of solvent(s)/plasticizer(s) selected from the groupconsisting of ethanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide,acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, dimethyl formamide, 1,4-dioxane,methylene chloride, acetyl triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate,sulfolane, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, and triethylcitrate.

In some interesting embodiments of the above, the substrate polymer ispolyurethane. In further interesting embodiments, the hydrophilicpolymer is polyvinyl pyrrolidone. In particular, the substrate polymeris polyurethane and the hydrophilic polymer is polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

Furthermore, the polymer solution may also include polymers other thanpolyvinylpyrrolidone and polyethylene oxide. In such cases, the amountof such additional polymer should not exceed twice the total amount ofthe polyvinylpyrrolidone and/or the polyethylene oxide, preferably theamount of such additional polymer should not exceed the total amount ofthe polyvinylpyrrolidone and/or the polyethylene oxide.

In one intriguing embodiment, the polymer solution comprisespolyvinylpyrrolidone and polyurethane (as the additional polymer) in arelative weight ratio of in the range of 99:1 to 1:2, such as in therange of 5:1 to 2:3.

Thus, in a further embodiment, the polymer solution consists of:

1-20% by weight of polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the hydrophilic polymer,0.05-10% by weight of polyurethane as the additional polymer, where therelative ratio between the polyvinyl pyrrolidone and the polyurethane isin the range of 5:1 to 2:3,55-100% by weight of a 1,3-dioxolane compound, in particular1,3-dioxolane,0-10% by weight of additive(s),0-43.95% by weight of solvent(s)/plasticizer(s).

Due to the fact that the hydrophilic coating exhibits its advantageousproperties when in its non-cross-linked form, it is preferred that thepolymer solution is devoid of any cross-linking agents.

The Method Steps

The method of the invention provides a package comprising a medicaldevice element of a substrate polymer having on at least a part of thesurface thereof a non-cross-linked hydrophilic coating. The methodcomprises the following steps (i)-(v) which will be discussed in thefollowing.

Step (i)

In the first step of the method of the invention, a medical deviceelement comprising a substrate polymer selected from the groupconsisting of polyurethane and polyvinylchloride is provided. Thesubstrate polymer surface may be the native surface of the medicaldevice element, or may be surface treated so as to facilitate strongbonding of the hydrophilic coating to the substrate polymer. The surfaceof the substrate polymer may be the complete physical surface or afraction thereof. For many medical devices, it is only necessary to coatthe part of the substrate polymer surface that comes into direct contactwith the surface of living tissue when in use. Thus, the step ofproviding a substrate polymer having the substrate polymer surface willbe evident for the person skilled in the art.

Step (ii)

In a second step of the method, a polymer solution is provided. Thepolymer solution comprises 0.1-20% by weight of a hydrophilic polymerselected from the groups consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone andpolyethylene oxide, 0-10% by weight of additive(s), and the balance of avehicle, said vehicle comprising 50-100% by weight of an optionallysubstituted 1,3-dioxolane compound, with the proviso that thehydrophilic polymer is not polyethylene oxide when the substrate polymeris polyvinylchloride. The selection of polymer solution is crucial forthe method of the invention. The choice of hydrophilic polymer, the1,3-dioxolane compound, and any solvent(s)/plasticizer(s) and additivesare described above. The solution may be prepared by mixing thecomponents of the vehicle with the hydrophilic polymer in order toobtain the polymer solution. The mixing order is not particularlycritical as long as a homogeneous (and possibly clear) solution isobtained. Thus, the step of actual preparation of the polymer solutionwill be evident for the person skilled in the art in view of the abovedirections with respect to choice of vehicle components.

Step (iii)

In a third step of the method, the polymer solution is applied to thesubstrate polymer, whereby a non-cross-linked hydrophilic coating isformed on at least a part of the surface thereof. Application of thepolymer solution to said substrate polymer surface is conductedfollowing conventional methods such as dip coating, spray coating,application by means of brushes, rollers, etc., as will be evident forthe person skilled in the art. With due consideration of the productionprocess, it is preferred that the application of the polymer to thesubstrate polymer surface is performed by dipping the medical device (orthe relevant surface thereof) into the polymer solution.

In a preferred embodiment, the polymer solution is applied to thesubstrate polymer surface in one single application step, such as in aone-dip process.

In another preferred embodiment, the polymer solution is applied to thesubstrate polymer surface in two or three individual application steps,in particular in two individual application steps, such as in a two-dipprocess.

The dipping process typically takes place by immersing the medicaldevice element in the polymer solution and then withdrawing them at aspeed of 0.2-10 cm per second at a temperature of in the range of 0-100°C., such as at 1-3 cm per second at room temperature.

For all embodiments, it should be understood that the substrate polymermay be primed in one or more preceding step(s) and that such (a)preceding step(s) may be performed in addition to the before-mentionedapplication step(s) (e.g. one-dip process or two-dip process) ofapplying the polymer solution. As mentioned above, the primer coat maybe formed from a dilute solution of the polymer solution.

Hence, in a preferred embodiment, the application of the polymersolution (one or two dips, in particular one dip) to the substratepolymer surface (step (iii)) is preceded by a priming step in which adilute solution of the polymer solution (e.g. using a dilution factor of0.2-7, and typically diluted with a solvent or a solvent mixture, mosttypically tetrahydrofuran or ethanol) is applied to the polymersubstrate surface in one or more steps (in particular in one step). Inparticular, both application steps (the priming step and step (iii))involve dipping of the substrate polymer surface in the primer solutionand polymer solution, respectively. More preferred, the priming step andstep (iii) are each performed by one dip of the substrate polymersurface (or the relevant part thereof) into the relevant solution (i.e.the primer solution and the polymer solution, respectively).

In some embodiments, the polymer solution is applied to the full (outer)surface of the substrate polymer, and in some other embodiments, only toa part of the surface. In the most relevant embodiments, the coating isestablished on at least a part of the surface (preferably the wholesurface) of the medical device that—upon proper use—comes into directcontact with body parts of the person for which the medical device isintended.

In an alternative embodiment, the polymer solution is applied to theinner surface of a medical device element, e.g. the inner surface of atube, a catheter, etc. This embodiment provides the advantage thatmicrobial attachment and biofilm formation are avoided and,consequently, that encrustation is eliminated.

In order to ensure that only a part of the substrate surface is coated,a part of the surface of the medical device element may be masked.

Step (iv)

In a fourth step of the method, the vehicle (i.e. the 1,3-dioxolanecompound and any solvent(s) and/or plasticizer(s)), or at least a partthereof, is evaporated from the polymer solution present on saidsubstrate polymer surface. The aim is to remove the volatile componentsof the polymer solution and to ensure that the hydrophilic polymer(s)remain(s) suitably anchored or embedded in the substrate polymer. Thevolatile components may be removed by passive evaporation, by leading astream of air over the surface of the substrate polymer, or by applyinga reduced pressure over the surface of the substrate polymer. The dryingtypically takes place at a temperature in the range of 20-100° C. for1-60 minutes, such as at 70° C. for 30 minutes. Furthermore, it may benecessary or desirable to increase the temperature of the substratepolymer or the air surrounding the substrate polymer to speed up theevaporation process. Preferably, the evaporation process is facilitatedby drying the substrate polymer with the polymer solution at atemperature in the range of 25-100° C. depending on the thermostabilityof the substrate polymer. Typically, the substrate polymer (e.g. amedical device) is dried in an oven.

Step (v)

In a fifth and final step of the method of the invention, the medicaldevice element having the coating of the non-cross-linked hydrophilicpolymer is arranged within a packing means, and the packing means isthen sealed. An important feature of the invention is the fact that thehydrophilic coating is not cross-linked before sealing, i.e. the packingmeans holds a medical device element having a coating of anon-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer.

By the term “packing means” is meant a structure intended to encloseother objects, liquids, etc. so as to shield said objects, liquids, etc.from the exterior of the packing means.

Packing means may be prepared from materials like plastics such aspolyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP),polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), rubbersuch as e.g. synthetic caoutchouc-ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer(EPDM), FKM fluoroelastomer, and paper coated with such polymers andrubbers. Polyethylene is a currently preferred material. The materialmay be a multi-layered material, e.g. a three-layered foil consisting ofpolyethyleneterephthalate (PET)/aluminium/polyethylene (PE), wherepolyethylene is the inner layer that is in direct contact with themedical device element.

The packing means is preferably gas impermeable. The term “gasimpermeable” should be understood in this context to mean any materialthat will be sufficiently tight against diffusion for a period exceedingthe recommended shelf life of the assembly which could be up to fiveyears, typically about 36 months or more.

Many designs for the packing means can be envisaged, and examples ofpacking means particularly suitable for urinary catheters are, e.g.,disclosed in EP 0 923 398 and in WO 03/092779. In some embodiments, thepacking means in itself forms part of the medical device, i.e. thepacking means is a medical device element in itself.

In some instances, the medical device element is arranged within thepacking means in wet form, i.e. in swollen form, either by swelling thehydrophilic coating with a swelling medium prior to arrangement withinthe packing means, or by arranging the medical device within the packingmeans together with a swelling medium. A suitable swelling medium is,e.g., water or an aqueous solution comprising salts, buffers and/orosmolality increasing agents, and possibly also low-molecular variant ofthe hydrophilic polymer. With due consideration of the results providedin the Experimental section, it is preferred that the medical device issterilized in dry form. In the instance where the medical device isprepared from the combination of polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyurethaneon a polyurethane substrate, the medical device may also advantageouslybe sterilized in wet form, in particular swollen with a swelling mediumcomprising salt and 1-10% of a low-molecular weightpolyvinylpyrrolidone.

After sealing of the packing means, the package may afterward besterilized and shipped as any conventional medical devices.

The present invention—of course—also relates to a package preparedaccording to the before-mentioned method.

A Medical Device Element

The method defined herein is particularly useful for the preparation ofa medical device element comprising a substrate polymer selected fromthe group consisting of polyurethane and polyvinylchloride, wherein saidsubstrate polymer has on at least a part thereof a coating of anon-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consistingof polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyethylene oxide, with the proviso thatthe hydrophilic polymer is not polyethylene oxide when the substratepolymer is polyvinylchloride, and wherein said hydrophilic coating has avery satisfactory coating stability, and possibly also a fairly longdry-out time.

In one embodiment, the medical device element comprises a polyurethanesubstrate, said substrate polymer having on at least a part thereof acoating of non-cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, wherein the coatingstability of said coating, when determined in the “Coating Stabilitytest” defined herein, being at least 3, such as at least 4, inparticular 5. In this embodiment, it is preferred that thepolyvinylpyrrolidone has a molecular weight of at least 50,000, such asat least 100,000, in particular at least 250,000.

In another embodiment, the medical device element comprises apolyurethane substrate, said substrate polymer having on at least a partthereof a coating of non-cross-linked polyethylene oxide, wherein thecoating stability of said coating, when determined in the “CoatingStability test” defined herein, being at least 3, such as at least 4, inparticular 5. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the polyethyleneoxide has a molecular weight of at least 100,000, such as at least250,000, in particular at least 500,000.

In still another embodiment, the medical device element comprises apolyvinylchloride substrate, said substrate polymer having on at least apart thereof a coating of non-cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, whereinthe coating stability of said coating, when determined in the “CoatingStability test” defined herein, being at least 3, such as at least 4, inparticular 5.

In this embodiment, it is preferred that the polyvinylpyrrolidone has amolecular weight of at least 50,000, such as at least 100,000, inparticular at least 250,000.

In the above embodiments, it is further preferred that the dry-out timeof said coating, when determined in the “Dry-out time test” definedherein, is at least 3 minutes, such as at least 5 minutes, in particularat least 7 minutes.

The present invention, thus, also provides a package comprising a sealedpacking means holding a medical device element as defined above. Inparticular, the package is prepared according to the method definedherein.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

EXPERIMENTAL Materials

1,3-dioxolane was from Fluka.1,4-dioxane was from Riedel-De Haën.2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane; 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane,2-dimethylamino-1,3-dioxolane; and2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)-1,3-dioxolane were from Sigma-Aldrich.Acetone and ethanol were from VWR International.Hydroslip and Hydromed TP were from Cardiotech.Methyl isobutyl ketone and methylene chloride were from Merck.Polyox 308 (molecular weight (MW)=8.0 MDa), WSR-301 (MW=4.0 MDa), andWSR N-3000 (MW=0.4 MDa) were from Union Carbide.Propylene carbonate was from J. T. Baker.PVP C-15, K-25, K-29/32, K-90, and K-120 were from ISP.Sulfolane was from Aldrich.Tecogel 500 and Tecogel 2000 (low- and high-molecular type) were fromThermedics.Triethyl citrate (Citrofol A1) was from Jungbunzlauer.

Dipping Procedure and Drying

CH12 male urinary catheters (diameter 3.8 mm) made from PVC or Estane58212 polyurethane (PU) were dipped in the coating liquids and withdrawnat 2 cm/s. After drying at 70° C. for 30 minutes, they were ready touse. The catheters were swelled in tap water for at least 30 secondsbefore measurement of friction, dry-out time, and coating stability.

Friction Measurement

The slippery part of a swelled catheter was placed horizontally betweena lower and an upper polished block of stainless steel in such a waythat the upper block exerted its full gravitational force on thecatheter. The mass and length of the upper steel block was 266 g and 34mm, respectively. The steel blocks were moved back and forth by a motor,and the push and pull force was measured continuously by a load cellattached to the connector of the catheter. The initial push/pull forcewas averaged, and the friction force reported was the average ofdeterminations on three separate catheters. A good catheter should havea small friction force.

Dry-Out Time Test

5 catheters were withdrawn from the swelling medium at the same time andsuspended vertically by the connector in a scaffold, with the slipperypart and the eyes pointing downwards. The measurement was made atambient lab conditions at room temperature, and no attempt was made tocontrol the humidity of the surrounding air. At 5 predetermined timepoints (typically 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 minutes) the slipperiness of thecatheters was rated on a scale from 0-5 by running two fingers over thecatheters from top to bottom: 5=perfectly slippery, 4=slight dryness butstill slippery all over, 3=noticeable dryness but still slippery allover, 2=significant dryness with some dry spots, 1=almost completelydry, 0=completely dry. Each catheter was probed only once and thendiscarded. The rating of the catheters inevitably decreased with time,and the dry-out time was defined as the last time the catheter scored 3or more. For example, if a catheter scored (5, 5, 3, 2, 1) after (1, 3,5, 7, 9) minutes, the dry-out time was 5 minutes. If the dry-out timewas greater than 9 minutes, then 11 minutes was reported. If the dry-outtime was smaller than 1 minute, then 0 minutes was reported. A longdry-out time was desirable.

Coating Stability Test

A catheter was drawn from the swelling medium, and a metal syringe tubealmost as long as the catheter was inserted into the catheter lumen togive rigidity. The catheter was then subjected to multiple fingerrubbings, first in air and then under lukewarm water, to see if thecoating could be rubbed off within a few minutes. The catheters werescored on a scale from 0-5: 5=coating was stable for more than 1 minute,4=coating was stable for 30 to 60 seconds, 3=coating was stable for15-30 seconds, 2=coating was stable for 5 to 15 seconds, 1=coating couldbe removed within one or two finger strokes, 0=no coating on thesubstrate at all. A high score was desirable.

Examples Example 1 Effect of Polymer Length on Coating Quality of PUCatheters

PU catheters were dipped in solutions containing equal concentrations ofpolymers with different molecular weight. The results are shown in Table1.

TABLE 1 Effect of polymer length on the coating quality of PU catheters.% % % 1,3- MW of Dry-out Dip % PVP % PVP % PVP % propylene methylenedioxo- polymer time Coating Friction # K-29/32 K-90 K-120 ethanolcarbonate chloride lane (g/mol) (min) stability (N) 1 3 97 1.6E+06 5 50.224 2 3 97 3.5E+06 3 — 0.169 3 6 94 6.7E+04 3 5 1.128 4 6 94 1.6E+06 9— 0.252 5 6 94 3.5E+06 11 5 0.084 6 6 28.2 65.8 1.6E+06 7 — 0.201 7 628.2 65.8 3.5E+06 11 3 0.265 8 6 28.2 65.8 1.6E+06 7 5 0.792 9 6 28.265.8 3.5E+06 11 5 0.257 10 6 28.2 65.8 1.6E+06 5 5 0.913 11 6 28.2 65.83.5E+06 11 5 0.211

The dry-out time increased and the friction decreased in almost allcases when the molecular weight of the polymer was increased. Hence,longer polymers gave better coatings.

Example 2 Effect of Polymer Concentration on Coating Quality of PUCatheters

PU catheters were dipped in solutions with different concentrations ofthe same polymer. The results are shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Effect of polymer concentration on the coating quality of PUcatheters. Dip % WSR % PVP % PVP % 1,3-dioxo- Dry-out Coating Friction #N-3000 K-90 K-120 lane time (min) stability (N) 12 1 99 3 — 0.38 13 3 977 — 0.369 1 3 97 5 5 0.224 4 6 94 9 — 0.252 2 3 97 3 — 0.169 5 6 94 11 50.084

In all cases, the dry-out time increased with increasing polymerconcentration, that is, a thick polymer layer protected better againstwater evaporation than a thin one. Furthermore, in most cases thefriction decreased with increasing polymer concentration.

Example 3 Effect of Addition of Various Solvents on the Coating Qualityof PU Catheters

PU catheters were dipped in solutions with different solvents inaddition to 1,3-dioxolane. The results are shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Effect of various solvents on the coating quality of PUcatheters. % % % % 1,3- Dry-out Dip % WSR- Polyox % PVP % PVP % % 1,4-methylene % propylene dioxo- time Coating Friction # 301 308 K-90 K-120Other sulfolane dioxane chloride acetone carbonate lane (min) stability(N) 14 1 29.7 69.3 11 — 0.089 15 1 19.8 79.2 11 3 0.141 16 1 29.7 69.311 — 0.26 17 1 29.7 69.3 11 — 0.313 18 1 19.8% methyl isobutyl ketone79.2 11 2 0.341 19 1 99% 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane 0 11 — 0.429 20 1 99%2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane 0 11 — 0.481 21 0.3 99.7 5 5 0.282 6 6 28.2%ethanol 65.8 7 — 0.201 4 6 94 9 — 0.252 8 6 28.2 65.8 7 5 0.792 10 628.2 65.8 5 5 0.913 22 6 18.8 75.2 11 3 0.074 5 6 94 11 5 0.084 23 6 94%2-dimethylamino-1,3-dioxolane 0 11 — 0.115 24 6 28.2 65.8 11 5 0.144 256 28.2 65.8 11 5 0.2 11 6 28.2 65.8 11 5 0.211 9 6 28.2 65.8 11 5 0.25726 6 94% 2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethoxy)-1,3-dioxolane 0 — 5 — 7 6 28.2%ethanol 65.8 11 3 0.265

The data were ordered by increasing friction in each group. In general,coatings with low friction were obtained when sulfolane or 1,4-dioxanewere added, or when neat 1,3-dioxolane was used. Coatings resulting fromaddition of acetone and methylene chloride generally had somewhat higherfriction than coatings with neat 1,3-dioxolane. Coatings with propylenecarbonate, methyl isobutyl ketone and ethanol generally gave coatingswith even higher frictions.

With 0.3% Polyox 308 the coating with neat 1,3-dioxolane was completelystable (dip # 21), even though the dry-out time and friction were notparticularly good. Hence, neat 1,3-dioxolane was a good solvent for themanufacture of hydrophilic coatings

Neat 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane and 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane gave coatingswith good dry-out times and frictions that, even though they came outlast, were not much larger than the frictions of the other solvents inthe group with 1% WSR-301. Hence, these two derivatives of 1,3-dioxolanegave coatings with good properties. Neat 2-dimethylamino-1,3-dioxolanegave a low friction and a high dry-out time with 6% PVP K-120 and wasalso a very interesting solvent. Dry-out time and friction were notmeasured for 6% PVP K-120 in neat2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)-1,3-dioxolane, but the coating was verystable and had low friction during repeated finger rubbings underrunning water (data not shown), so this was a useful solvent as well.

Example 4 Effect of β-Sterilization on Coating Quality of PU Catheters

PU catheters were coated with dip solution # 4 and subjected to 50 kGyelectron beam irradiation (β-irradiation) to see how this affected thecoating quality. The results are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Effect of 50 kGy β-irradiation on the coating quality of PUcatheters. PU sterilized in PU sterilized in 0.9% NaCl + PU sterilizeddry 0.9% NaCl 6% PVP C-15 % 1,3- Unsterilized PU Dry-out Dry-out Dry-outDip % PVP dioxo- Friction Coating Friction time Friction time Frictiontime # K-90 lane (N) stability (N) (min) (N) (min) (N) (min) 4 6 940.149 5 0.297 8 1.134 2 1.577 4

The friction of the coating increased somewhat upon dry sterilizationbut was still acceptable, but the coating did not withstand wetsterilization in isotonic salt water with or without 6% PVP C-15 added.

Example 5 Properties of Stored and Unstored PVC Catheters

Properties of PVC catheters coated with various dip solutions are shownin Table 5.

TABLE 5 Properties of dip coated PVC catheters. PVC stored 67 hrs. inUnstored PVC water at 60 deg. C. % 1,3- Dry-out Dry-out Dip % PVP % PVPdioxo- time Coating Friction time Coating Friction # K-120 K-90 Otherlane (min) stability (N) (min) stability (N) 5 6 94 11 5 0.169 7 5 0.259 6 28.2% propylene carbonate 65.8 11 5 0.265 5 5 0.148 11 6 28.2%methylene chloride 65.8 11 5 0.305 3 5 0.42 24 6 28.2% sulfolane 65.8  75 0.541 3 5 0.238 25 6 28.2% acetone 65.8 — 4 — — — — 8 6 28.2%propylene carbonate 65.8 — 4 — — — — 10 6 28.2% methylene chloride 65.8— 4 — — — — 4 6 94 — 3 — — — — Only results with PVP K-120 and PVP K-90were included here, because all coatings with polyethylene oxide and PVPK-29/32 were unstable (data not shown).

6% PVP K-120 in neat 1,3-dioxolane gave very good, stable coatings, bothbefore and after storage in water. Coatings with added propylenecarbonate, methylene chloride and sulfolane were also stable and almostas good, whereas addition of acetone made the coating slightly unstable.Coatings with 6% PVP K-90 in either neat 1,3-dioxolane or with addedpropylene carbonate or methylene chloride were reasonably stable. Hencethe same effect of molecular weight of the polymer was observed for PVCand PU, but different additional solvents must be used for PU and PVC,and polyethylene oxide could not be coated on PVC with this dippingmethod.

After storage in hot water for 67 hours, the dry-out time of the PVCcatheters decreased, but the coatings were stable. By contrast, allcoated PU catheters lost their coating during storage at the sameconditions, so the PVC catheter coatings were inherently more stable inwater than PU catheter coatings.

Example 6 Properties of Sterilized and Unsterilized PU Catheters Coatedwith PVP/Polyurethane Mixtures

The properties of such catheters are shown in Table 6. In all cases, 50kGy β-irradiation was used for sterilization.

TABLE 6 Properties of sterilized and unsterilized PU catheters coatedwith PVP/polyurethane mixtures. % % 1,3- Dyp % PVP % PVP Citrofol dioxo-# K-90 K-25 PU type Other A1 lane 27 5 4% Hydroslip 91 28 4.75 3.8%Hydroslip 5 86.45 29 4.75 3.8% Hydroslip 0.95% Hydromed TP 5 85.5 304.75 4.75% Hydroslip 5 85.5 31 5 5% Hydromed TP 90 32 4.75 4.75%Hydromed TP 5 85.5 33 4.75 4.75% Tecogel 2000 5 85.5 34 5 5% Tecogel2000 (low MW) 90 35 5% Tecogel 2000 (low MW) 95 36 5.7 3.8% Tecogel 5005 85.5 37 5 4% Tecogel 500 13.65% ethanol 77.35 PU sterilized in PUsterilized in 0.9% NaCl + PU sterilized dry 0.9% NaCl 6% PVP C-15Unsterilized PU Dry-out Dry-out Dry-out Dyp Coating Friction timeFriction time Friction time Friction # stability (N) (min) (N) (min) (N)(min) (N) 27 5 0.22 10 0.11 6 0.27 10 0.11 28 5 0.23 10 0.12 2 3.14 40.15 29 5 0.26 4 0.19 6 0.35 8 0.17 30 5 0.94 8 0.2 6 1.51 4 1.43 31 40.21 8 0.23 2 0.55 4 0.36 32 5 0.24 4 0.28 2 0.54 6 0.28 33 5 0.22 80.17 6 0.47 8 0.33 34 3 0.15 6 0.13 2 0.61 4 0.17 35 4 0.85 2 0.32 2 1.22 0.4 36 3 0.19 6 0.19 4 0.55 8 0.21 37 3 0.32 4 0.29 2 0.35 6 0.52

In general, the dry sterilization did not affect the catheters as muchas the wet sterilization in 0.9% NaCl. However, the presence of 6% PVPC-15 in the salt water improved both the dry-out time and the frictionand hence would be advantageous for the manufacturing of a wet catheter.

The coating that contained 4% Hydroslip polyurethane and 5% PVP K-90(dip # 27) had the best all-round properties of the PU-coated catheters:Low friction and a long dry-out time before and after sterilization. Thepresence of Citrofol A1 as plasticizer for the polyurethane damaged thecatheters during wet sterilization (dip # 28), but further addition of0.95% Hydromed TP almost circumvented the deleterious effect of CitrofolA1 after wet sterilization (dip # 29). However, a poor coating resultedwhen PVP K-90 was replaced by PVP K-25 (dip # 30). On the other hand,Hydromed TP gave almost equally good results with PVP K-90 (dip # 31)and PVP K-25 (dip # 32). The high-molecular weight version of Tecogel2000 (dip # 33) gave coatings with better dry-out times than thelow-molecular weight Tecogel 2000 (dip # 34), in thread with theobservations described above for PU-free coatings containing only PVP orpolyethylene oxide. None of the pure polyurethanes (that is, withoutPVP) were very good, as exemplified by the pure low-molecular weightTecogel 2000 (dip # 35; other data not shown). Finally, the coating froma mixture of Tecogel 500 with PVP K-25 and Citrofol A1 (dip # 36) wasalmost as good as the corresponding dip # 33 with Tecogel 2000.Furthermore, dip # 36 was better than dip # 37 with 5% PVP K-90, 4%Tecogel 500 and 13.65% ethanol, so PVP K-25 sometimes worked better withpolyurethanes than PVP K-90. In conclusion, several polyurethanes couldbe advantageously used to fortify the PVP coating during wetβ-sterilization, since PVP alone did not withstand this treatment (seeExample 4 above).

1. A method for the preparation of a package comprising a packing meansholding a medical device element of a substrate polymer, said substratepolymer having on at least a part of the surface thereof a hydrophiliccoating, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a medicaldevice element comprising a substrate polymer selected from the groupconsisting of polyurethane and polyvinylchloride, (ii) providing apolymer solution comprising 0.1-20% by weight of a hydrophilic polymerselected from the groups consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone andpolyethylene oxide, 0-10% by weight of additive(s), and the balance of avehicle, said vehicle comprising 50-100% by weight of an optionallysubstituted 1,3-dioxolane compound, with the proviso that thehydrophilic polymer is not polyethylene oxide when the substrate polymeris polyvinylchloride, (iii) applying said polymer solution to thesurface of said substrate polymer, thereby forming a non-cross-linkedhydrophilic coating on at least a part of the surface of the substratepolymer, (iv) evaporating at least a part of the vehicle, and (v)arranging said medical device element having the coating of thenon-cross-linked hydrophilic polymer within a packing means, and sealingsaid packing means.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesubstrate polymer is polyurethane and the hydrophilic polymer ispolyvinylpyrrolidone.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesubstrate polymer is polyvinylchloride and the hydrophilic polymer ispolyvinylpyrrolidone.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesubstrate polymer is polyurethane and the hydrophilic polymer ispolyethylene oxide.
 5. The method according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein said optionally substituted 1,3-dioxolane compound has amolecular weight of at the most 300 g/mol.
 6. The method according toany one of the preceding claims, wherein said optionally substituted1,3-dioxolane compound is 1,3-dioxolane.
 7. A medical device elementcomprising a polyurethane substrate, said substrate polymer having on atleast a part thereof a coating of non-cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone,wherein the coating stability of said coating, when determined in the“Coating Stability test” defined herein, being at least
 3. 8. A medicaldevice element comprising a polyurethane substrate, said substratepolymer having on at least a part thereof a coating of non-cross-linkedpolyethylene oxide, wherein the coating stability of said coating, whendetermined in the “Coating Stability test” defined herein, being atleast
 3. 9. A medical device element comprising a polyvinylchloridesubstrate, said substrate polymer having on at least a part thereof acoating of non-cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, wherein the coatingstability of said coating, when determined in the “Coating Stabilitytest” defined herein, being at least
 3. 10. A package comprising asealed packing means holding a medical device element as defined in anyone of the claims 7-9.